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System and method for authorizing and monetizing collect cellular telephone calls

System and method for authorizing and monetizing collect cellular telephone calls description/claims

This is a regular patent application based upon and claiming the benefit of priority of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/935,634, filed Aug. 23, 2007, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto.

The present invention relates to a method, a system and programming instructions stored on computer readable medium for authorizing and monetizing collect cellular telephone calls.

In some situations, a calling party cannot easily establish a telephone telecommunications link with another called party. This is particularly true when the calling party is in a physically restricted environment such as a prison, hospital or other controlled facility. In this situation, the calling party must use a specially configured telephone which accesses an operator service provider (OSP) and that OSP then assists the calling party to reach the called party. In these situations, the called party's telephone must accept collect calls. In the absence of the collect call acceptance by the called party, the telephone telecommunications link is not established and the calling party is blocked from communicating over the telephone due to actions by the OSP (electronic denial of service).

It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and a method for authorizing and monetizing collect cellular telephone calls.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system and a method wherein authorization requires a positive response, either a positive voice response or a positive touch tone response or a positive text message response, from the called party in possession of an identifiable cellular telephone.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide both internal and external databases with a white list or approved cellular phone list, capable of accepting cellular collect calls, and a black list or “service denied” list containing cellular telephone numbers which are blocked due to various considerations.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide inspirational information to the called party as part of the collect cellular telephone call.

The method of authorizing and monetizing a cellular collect call requires identifying the cellular telephone carrier associated with an identified cellular telephone having a certain telephone number. After determining whether the carrier and the cellular telephone is enabled to accept a message service charge (premium SMS), a voice response module is activated seeking a positive authorization from the called party in possession of the cellular telephone. If the carrier and the telephone is enabled and a positive response is obtained from the called party on the identified cellular telephone, the system facilitates a connection between the calling party and the called party and initiates a predetermined billing charge assigned to the cellular telephone number. If the carrier or the cell phone is not enabled or if no authorization is obtained from the called party, the system facilitates a denial of completion of the collect cellular telephone call (a refusal to connect the caller and the called party). A timing function is often activated upon facilitating the connection between the calling party and the called party. In order to determine whether a collect cellular telephone call will be accepted by an identified cellular telephone, databases are accessed and one of these databases includes prior billing records of cellular telephone numbers. The designated database has an approved list of cellular telephone numbers (a white list) and a denied-service list of cellular telephone numbers (a black list). In the denied-service list, the designated database typically includes an indicator referencing prior charge backs for the assigned cellular telephone number.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention can be found in the detailed description of the preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of the telephone communications system; and

FIGS. 2, 2A and 2B diagrammatically illustrate a block-diagram flowchart showing many functional aspects and software modules for the collect cell phone program.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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